You have good days and bad days. They are doing a seriously good job in Aleppo and having a lot more success than they did 18 months ago. There again, media disinformation agents, are no doubt out in force, to demoralise the Forces.

Aquartertoseven

Amazing what just 4000 can do to the SAA. Hell, ISIS only has, what, 15000 men in Syria? You’d think that the SAA could quickly muster at least a few thousand troops in the 3/4 days that this attack has taken place over. Look at the sheer distance they’ve fled from, looks like they ran with their tails between their legs offering little to no resistance. Gutless.

Haimgard

You dont know what was behind the table of Rus- Us negotiations last week. There is something strange going on indeed. Maybe there was some kind of deal between them; Usa prox. leaving Aleppo to SAA in exchange for Palmyra gas fields or something…Strange thing is they left the place in such a hurry and they HAD know somehow that such a large force is moving toward Palmyra few days ago – at least Russians must have known this. Surly there were and are Drones flying all over the desert. Anyways if you check RT for news about Palmyra – there is no article about Palmyra falling to ISIS and we know that this has accured yesterday.

sólyomszem

then kick out russian traitors. putin is bandit!

Gary Sellars

Stick a sock in it, Ukropi eejit….

VGA

ISIS can recruit a LOT more than 15000 warm bodies if their cities are under attack. By propaganda, by force, with money …

Recruiting fighters for offensives away from their towns, like this Palmyra offensive, is more difficult.

John Brown

Judging from how those who were under ISIS in Allepo were treated, I don’t think many will fight for them in Rakka or Deir Ez Or. If forced they will pick up a gun yes but likely surrender or desert at the first opportunity or maybe turn on ISIS.

VGA

I disagree because the eastern part of Syria are the core ISIS territories, full of poor disenfranchised sunnis. And ISIS is dominant there, unlike the hodgepodge of militias elsewhere, who are sometimes fighting each other.

John Brown

East Allepo was also mostly poor Sunnis who moved to Alleppo from the rural areas of Syria like Rakka etc. Unlike in Iraq, Sunnis have not been oppressed in Syria as they were in Iraq under USSA occupation and by USSA /Israeli puppet governments in Bagdad.

ISIS does not follow Islam they follow Satanism as does Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Also don’t forget Assad’s wife is a Sunni and over 70% of the Syrian army is Sunni as well! the Iraqi army is Shia and Kurd.

VGA

I believe there is a difference between sunnis in eastern syria and in western. There are a lot more tribalist radical sandal wearers in the east, far away from “useful Syria”.

And now they capture all of that military equipment they will use it in offensive in deir ez zor for sure

Terence Silvestre Jr.

Unwittingly the Russians end up arming ISIS just as their western sponsors are continually doing. What an irony.

Terence Silvestre Jr.

Instead of counterattacking to retake Palmyra, better strengthen and shield their lines of defense on the strategic Tyas Airbas and its surroundings. Because if they neglected one for the other they would end up losing both, adding verger about shame both over the Syrian government and over their great allied Russia.

Gary Sellars

No, as the civilised world cannot allow the IS troglodytes to destroy the cultural heritage of Palmyra. The city is an archeological treasure, and must be liberated before these filthy wahabbi rock-apes can vandalise any more.

What im wondering is how many adult males are there left in Syria and Iraq? Problem comes when there simply arnt enough people. Maybe things arn’t that bad yet, but I get the feeling that many people just fled. In many civil wars mustering up an army to fight for an unpopular government is difficult. Thats where mercenaries come in. In Bosnia something like 80-90% of the army just didn’t show up for duty, much of the spearhead on either side was private armies.

qveenz

2 regiments are required for a swift attack on north an south flanks from Al Salamyah and south of Al-Quaryataryn. Then attack with strong forces trhough Palmyra if ISIS answer on flanks.

ISIS probably don’t have any more main battle tanks left after having lost 30 of them in the new offensive for Palmyra.

Antikapitalista

Honestly, I do not understand some of the responses… The loyalist forces did a very good job. Well done!

This airbase may be strategically more important than the whole of Palmyra. Thus, it was sensible to abandon Palmyra for the sake of holding the airbase. To hell with holding Palmyra at all costs! Conquering it was probably foolish in the first place. It was indefensible. The Islamic state launched attacks from 3 sides! The defences were overstretched, thus it was better to retreat rather than lose precious weaponry and even more precious lives. The attitude to waging war must now be medieval—like in the Middle Ages: cunning manoeuvres and conservation of resources.

Furthermore, since it did not fall to “moderate terrorists”, there will be no international pressure against retaking it.

John Brown

I think Russia knew ISIS was going to attack Palmaria all along. It’s a good trap. Russia probably thought that Syrian troops could at least hold out for a few days which they did not. Russia / Syria needed to keep second rate troops there to bate Israel / ISIS and Saudi into an attack and they fell for it. The ISIS move is too little too late. It does not matter. Aleppo has been won.This Palmaria move was a stupid desperate attack to relieve pressure on Aleppo and has turned into a huge strategic mistake by Israel / ISIS and Saudi. Now this large ISIS force can be wiped out by Russian / Syrian air power and the Tiger forces. Their supply lines are long, with no Israeli or Turkish hospitals nearby, all the ISIS wounded will die. They are in the open with no tunnels to hide in. I bet less ten 10% of the ISIS solders in this attack make it back to ISIS territory alive

AMHants

That is what I am hoping. A nice little trap. 4,000, heavily weaponed goons of ISIS, sitting happily in Palmyra, like ducks, How easy would that be, to take them out?

John Brown

There are no civilians there in Palmyra now unlike the last time, to be used as human shields so I bet they will be blasted by air power and heavy artillery. They are not just in Palmyra they are in they whole area exposed to air power, with long supply lines and no Israeli or Turkish hospitals nearby for their wounded.

AMHants

Wouldn’t that be nice? Now that they have Aleppo sorted and to stop the others moving into position, that could cause problems later. It would be worth it just to see Kerry, Biden, McCain, Graham and Nuland melt.

AMHants

Well said.

gustavo

Is it possible to realize that the lost of Palmyra overshadow the victory in Allepo ? There was a military error here from russian and syrian, independently of which city is more important ! This is just not acceptable !!